March Break is now upon us. Airports and popular destinations will be at their busiest, and you will be too if you’re planning on taking off. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or embarking on your first family vacation, if you’re going to maintain any semblance of sanity, you’ll need to remember one (not-so) little thing, and it’s not food or a toy. You’ve tailored your travel arrangements to suit your child’s schedule. You are super-organized, and arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare.
A big concern many parents have about traveling is how time changes and jet lag will affect their child’s routine and sleeping patterns. It’s a valid concern; we all know how jet lag makes us feel (zonked and cranky), and who wants to cope with a toddler in that same state? According to pretty much any book or article you read, children cope with time changes and jet lag much better than adults do, acclimatizing much faster.
Whenever I talk about traveling with babies (which is a lot), for the most part I come across like-minded parents who have concerns but love the idea of travel with their young family. Occasionally however, I’m met with a look of horror, or – at the very least – disbelief.